Customs Officers Seize 18,500 Bottles of Counterfeit Russian Vodka

An empty bottle of Stoli. Vodka. Русский: Пустая бутылка из-вод водки «Столичная». (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Indian news site newkerala.com reports 18,500 bottles of  counterfeit vodka were destroyed in China.

The Tianjin customs office claimed the market value of the counterfeit vodka was more than $36,190. The fake vodka copied the trademark of the Russian brand Stolichnaya vodka.

"Such serious case is very rare in China and it shows the country is also a victim of piracy, which is a global issue," said Shi Guowang, an official with the Tianjin customs office.

At one time, Stolichnaya vodka was considered one of the best vodka's in the world. In 1953, Stolichnaya was introduced on the international trade show in Bern and received a gold medal.

The Stolichnaya label, however, no longer makes reference to Russia or Russian Vodka, as displayed on the label in this article. Stoli is now produced and bottled in Latvia for SPI Cyprus and is labeled as Imported Premium Vodka.